Marimurtra joins the FenoCat network as phenological observers.

The Marimurtra Botanical Garden takes another step in its commitment to science and conservation by joining the FenoCat network. This initiative, led by the Meteorological Service of Catalonia and participating in the European project PEP725, promotes the collection and exchange of phenological data on an international scale. You can find more information about the network on its website: FenoCat.

Phenology is the discipline that studies the seasonal phases of plants and animals, such as flowering, leaf fall, or fruit ripening, and how these are influenced by climatic conditions. This monitoring is essential to understanding how climate changes are affecting ecosystems, as many species are experiencing unusual shifts, such as early or delayed flowering.

At Marimurtra, three species will be monitored: the grapevine (Vitis vinifera), the olive tree (Olea europaea), and the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo). These species have been selected for their ecological relevance and their role in traditional Mediterranean agriculture.

To facilitate identification and introduce visitors to the network, informational signs will be placed in front of each plant. The collected data will be shared with FenoCat and analyzed alongside meteorological data to study the effects of climate on these species.

These observations are crucial for contributing to international research on biodiversity and climate. It is a unique opportunity to see how science and nature come together to protect our environment and better understand today’s environmental challenges.

Marimurtra thus reaffirms its commitment to scientific research and environmental awareness. Come and discover this project and be part of this dialogue between nature and science!

Processionària del pi

  • Processionària del pi Marimurtra (10)
  • Processionària del pi Marimurtra (10)
  • Processionària del pi Marimurtra (10)
  • Processionària del pi Marimurtra (10)
  • Processionària del pi Marimurtra (10)
  • Processionària del pi Marimurtra (10)
  • Processionària del pi Marimurtra (10)
  • Processionària del pi Marimurtra (10)
  • Processionària del pi Marimurtra (10)

La processionària del pi (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) és una espècie de lepidòpter (papallona nocturna o arna) autòctona de Catalunya. És una espècie molt coneguda per les seves problemàtiques associades, afectant principalment coníferes, com els pins, no obstant això, també pot arribar a afectar els animals, éssers humans inclosos.
Aquesta espècie presenta un cicle de vida holometàbol. Això vol dir que consta de diferents estadis durant el seu cicle vital (ou, larva, crisàlide o pupa i adult o imago). A més, en aquest cicle es dona una metamorfosi, és a dir, un canvi total de l’aparença de l’individu juvenil (larva) a l’adult.

La fase larvària (eruga) té un cos llarg i segmentat, amb una longitud que pot arribar fins als 4-5 cm. Presenta un patró de colors marró fosc o negre a la part superior i franges de color taronja o groguenc amb zones blanquinoses que recorren longitudinalment el cos. Cada segment presenta una distribució de pèls característica. Aquests pèls són llargs, densos i serveixen com a mecanisme de defensa. En canvi, la fase adulta (papallona nocturna) presenta dos parells d’ales; les anteriors són de color gris amb nervadures fosques que formen tres franges transversals, mentre que les posteriors són blanques amb les vores grises. El tòrax està recobert de pèls grisencs i l’abdomen és cilíndric, gruixut i recobert d’escames daurades. En conjunt mesura uns 45 mm. Els mascles són lleugerament diferents de les femelles per poder identificar-se i aparellar-se (dimorfisme sexual).

L’inici del cicle parteix amb la posta dels ous, normalment durant l’estiu. La femella adulta posa entre 70 i 300 ous, de forma cilíndrica, al voltant d’un parell de fulles de pi (acícules). Un cop han passat entre 20-40 dies (tardor), es dona l’eclosió: de cada ou surt una larva que, immediatament, comença a alimentar-se de les fulles del pi. A mesura que va menjant, va creixent i ho fa a través de cinc estadis larvaris (on es donen cinc canvis de muda, on va augmentant cada cop la seva mida). Durant aquesta fase, les larves treballen en grup (comportament gregari) per construir un niu d’aspecte de bossa sedosa sobre una branca de l’arbre. Això ho fan per a sobreviure les dures i fredes condicions de l’hivern. Un cop han arribat a la maduresa necessària, totes juntes abandonen el niu i descendeixen pel tronc de l’arbre formant la característica “processió”, caminant l’una rere l’altra. El primer individu, que és el líder de la processió, és una femella que s’encarrega de buscar un espai amb la temperatura òptima on enterrar-se. La processió és una estratègia que fan servir per a protegir-se les unes amb les altres i no ser depredades tan fàcilment pels depredadors que se les mengen, com aus, rèptils o amfibis. Un cop troben el lloc més idoni, s’enterren per a donar pas al següent estadi, la pupa o crisàlide, on acaben de desenvolupar-se en un estat de semilatència fins a arribar a la seva fase adulta o imago. Abans d’emergir, és a dir, sortir de la pupa, poden romandre en diapausa (sense activitat biològica) d’un a tres anys esperant a les condicions meteorològiques adequades per viure i reproduir-se en la seva fase adulta. Finalment, la fase adulta es dona a la primavera i presenta una vida curta, ja que el seu únic objectiu és reproduir-se.

La temperatura té un gran efecte sobre el cicle biològic d’aquesta espècie. Quan es donen temperatures superiors a 30 °C desapareix el comportament gregari que les erugues presenten i abandonen les colònies. A més, si s’arriba als 32 °C, es produeix la mort de les larves. Per altra banda, amb temperatures inferiors a 10 °C, s’atura l’activitat de la colònia.
A causa del canvi global i l’augment de les temperatures, l’espècie està aconseguint expandir-se a altres regions de latituds més fredes, on abans no podria, per tant, les seves poblacions s’estan veient en augment i en algunes zones, tot i tractar-se d’una espècie autòctona, esdevé plaga.

Hi ha diferents problemàtiques associades amb la processionària del pi. Per una banda, la més directa recau sobre els arbres que poden patir una defoliació severa (majoritàriament pins, però també altres coníferes, com cedres i avets). La pèrdua de fulles disminueix la capacitat fotosintètica dels arbres i, doncs, es veu afectada la seva capacitat d’obtenir nutrients. Per tant, això comporta un deteriorament i afebliment dels arbres, esdevenint més vulnerables a altres plagues o malalties. Per l’altra, existeix una problemàtica indirecta que afecta els animals i éssers humans, ja que les erugues presenten pèls urticants per a protegir-se dels seus depredadors. Aquests pèls contenen una toxina anomenada thaumatopina, la qual causa irritació a la pell i les mucoses de qui la toqui. A més, aquests pèls es troben especialment a la part superior del cos, podent desprendre’s a l’aire, augmentant, així, el risc de contacte.

Per a combatre aquesta espècie hi ha diversos mètodes de control. Existeixen pesticides químics de síntesi molt potents, però que, tot i ser molt eficients, malmeten greument el medi ambient. Per tant, recentment s’estan prohibint i, a part, no es contemplen com a eina de control al Jardí, ja que no s’alineen amb els valors de Marimurtra; des de fa més de set anys al Jardí Botànic Marimurtra no es fan servir productes químics de síntesi per a tractar les plagues ni les plantes. Per tant, els principals mètodes de control que s’apliquen al Jardí són: 1) El foment de la biodiversitat de l’entorn, atraient els depredadors naturals de l’espècie, com ocells o paràsits d’insectes (control biològic), per tal d’establir un correcte equilibri a l’ecosistema. En aquest cas, s’ha instal·lat caixes niu en pins i menjadores i abeuradors en zones properes, així com diversos hotels d’insectes, i 2) L’ús de trampes i barreres físiques que capturen als adults o impedeixen el desplaçament de les erugues. La trampa aplicada al Jardí s’anomena “collar d’Écopiège”, és una trampa que captura les erugues en el moment que descendeixen per l’arbre fent la processió. És de seguretat fiable tant pels humans com els animals, a més d’actuar en el moment crític on el risc d’urticària és més elevat. Es pot veure fàcilment, i és important que els visitants del Jardí no la manipulin, ja que pot ser perillós. És per això que també s’han col·locat uns cartells informatius per evitar-ne accidents.

Descarrega la infografia

In August 2024, the rainiest and hottest day of the year was recorded according to the Marimurtra weather station

The hottest days of 2024 occurred in August, specifically on the 2nd (35.1 °C) and the 10th (34.9 °C), based on data from the Marimurtra Botanical Garden’s private weather station in Blanes, located in the 1st Garden, which can be viewed live at www.marimurtra.cat/meteo. On the other hand, the coldest days of 2024 were January 8th (3.7 °C) and December 16th (5.5 °C).

Estació meteorològica Marimurtra

Regarding rainfall, a total of 565.20 mm of water was collected throughout 2024, exceeding the totals for 2023 (355 mm) and 2022 (510 mm). Although the wettest seasons were spring —83.10 mm in April and 82.7 mm in March— and autumn —81.30 mm in October—, it is worth noting that the rainiest day of the year occurred in August: on August 14th, 37.6 mm of water fell.

As for the sea, observations from the Marimurtra Botanical Garden highlight that 2024 was a very calm year. Specifically, the calmest month was July, with fourteen days of flat sea —0 cm height— and 13 days with slight ripples —between 0 and 0.1 meters—; whereas the roughest sea was observed in March, with four days of rough sea —between 1.25 and 2.5 meters high—, one day of very rough sea —between 2.5 and 4 meters—, and one day of high sea —between 4 and 6 meters high—.

Another metric recorded by the Marimurtra Botanical Garden is sky conditions. The month with the most cloudy days in 2024 was November, while the clearest skies were observed in July.

Two years ago, a new weather station was launched, collecting six parameters from three sensors located at different points: temperature, humidity (air and soil), rainfall, wind (direction and speed), atmospheric pressure, and solar radiation. Additionally, for over a decade, the Marimurtra Botanical Garden has hosted another weather station in the 3rd Garden, part of the AEMET network.

The current statutes of the Carl Faust Foundation include the collection of meteorological data at the Marimurtra Botanical Garden among its foundational objectives.

Caseta dels guàrdies Marimurtra

Monitoring of birds in the Marimurtra Botanical Garden: Report 2024

The environmental consultant Pere Alzina i Bilbeny has carried out an ornithological monitoring in the natural area of the Marimurtra Botanical Garden, in Blanes. In it, he details the birds that live there and also those that visit it sporadically. In total, the analyzed area occupies a total of 16 hectares between the sea and the mountain.

During the four censuses – two wintering and two breeding – a total of 36 species of birds have been detected, one more than those detected in 2023. As for the nesting species in the area and immediate vicinity, during the transects in 2024, 29-33 species were detected, while in 2018, 41 were detected (nocturnal included – duke, gamarús and deceivers-).

According to Pere Alzina, the species that have been found in Marimurtra represent 25% of the birds that nest in Catalonia.

This 2024 ornithological report contributes to a better understanding of the dynamics and wealth of the ancestral fauna of the Marimurtra Botanical Garden, highlighting its importance as a space for conservation and scientific research in the context of international botanical gardens.

Download here the bird monitoring report at the Jardí Botànic Marimurtra 2024 by Pere Alzina.

Vicenç Martorell, the beekeeper of Marimurtra, retires

Vicenç Martorell has been the beekeeper of the Marimurtra Botanical Garden for nearly twenty years. Taking advantage of the fact that he is now retired, he has explained to us how the honey in the Garden project began, how it is made and also the obstacles he has encountered during all this time.

In 2003, taking advantage of the fact that the environmental and pollination conditions were right to go ahead with the installation of hives, the first space for bees was created in the Garden, with a dozen hives. Gradually, it has been increased to the current 18 hives, where approximately 40,000 bees live in each box. The sale of honey has also increased in recent years in the Garden: a total of 1,080 jars of Marimurtra honey, equivalent to more than 500 kilos, have been sold in 2024.

The main problems that Vicenç Martorell has encountered over the years are: drought, varroa – a mite that attacks bees – cochineal and the arrival of Asian wasps, which have reduced the production of honey in recent years. In these cases he has had to use his ingenuity to create protections or artificial swarms to save the bees.

In Marimurtra, pollinating bees play a very important role, both in their function of producing honey and in the conservation of species biodiversity. Martorell highlights the quality of the honey extracted from Marimurtra: “it tastes very good, special, exotic, thanks to the great diversity of flowers in the Garden”. Marimurtra honey is a very popular product: 100% natural, organic and contains no additives or preservatives. For this reason, in 2021 it was awarded the Girona Excellent seal of quality.

Marimurtra receives a herbarium from Cassà de la Selva

The herbarium of the Carl Faust Foundation-Jardí Botànic Marimurtra has received the donation of a personal herbarium prepared by Dolors Rubirola during his high school studies at the Jaume Vicens Vives Institute in Girona in 1974.

The herbarium consists of fifty folds of plants among which there are also specimens of mosses and lichens. Most of the plants have been collected in and around the town of Cassà de la Selva.

This collection will be incorporated into the general herbarium of the Fundació Carl Faust-Jardí Botànic Marimurtra, with which it will allow to increase the knowledge of the flora of the province of Girona.

INS Serrallarga provides community services in Marimurtra

A total of 300 students from three high schools in Blanes are passing through the Marimurtra Botanical Garden this month to extract invasive plants from the forests. This action is included in the framework of a community service project coordinated by the environmental association Xatrac and financed by the Generalitat.

In addition to the removal of invasive plants, the students are fixing paths and maintaining the nest boxes for the birds. Jan Rojas, a 3rd year ESO student at INS Serrallarga in Blanes, is confident that with these invasive plant removal actions, the Blanes ecosystem will be improved.

For his part, Bryan Figueras, head of Xatrac’s pedagogical department, explains the importance of removing invasive plants so they don’t take over the town’s green spaces.

The community service will be carried out in Marimurtra by nearly 300 students from three high schools in Blanes and approximately 300 more students from three high schools in Lloret de Mar in other green areas, over a period of two years.

Science Week 2024 fills Marimurtra with people of all ages

This year, Science Week has activities aimed at various audiences: adults, families and schoolchildren.

The first of the organized activities, the most scientific Marimurtra -Saturday November 16-, had a presentation by the archaeologist, naturalist and explorer Jordi Serrallonga, who commented on the importance of Charles Darwin’s research to understand evolution of plant species. Thanks to its interest in botany, the Marimurtra Botanical Garden can apply its research, as Serrallonga explains in the following video:

Another presentation that was offered on Saturday was that of Marimurtra’s head of scientific dissemination, Anna Sans, who spoke about the concept of ‘Plant awareness’. University of Girona students Alba Bachs and Stephanie Carreras presented their research work with plant extracts that they did this summer in Marimurtra as university internships.

After the presentations, the new Charles Darwin poster that will be installed in the Garden was presented.

 

➡️ The entire act can be seen in the following link. 

The activities continued on Sunday with ‘Family Botany’ and the guided tour ‘The Biodiversity of Marimurtra’.

During Science Week a team of technicians from Marimurtra visited several schools to offer the workshop ‘The secret of seeds’. 

Edicions de Marimurtra presents the book ‘Indrets de Marimurtra. La Costa de Sventenius’

Edicions de Marimurtra presents the first volume of the Indrets de Marimurtra collection, a tool for getting to know the Marimurtra Botanical Garden better, because it relates and values ​​the names of the spaces in the Garden with these characters without whom Marimurtra would not be the same.

The first of the books that has been published is Indrets de Marimurtra. La Costa de Sventenius and reviews the relationship of the Swedish botanist and gardener Eric R. Svensson with the Marimurtra Botanical Garden. The authors of the work are Josep Maria Camarasa, doctor in biology, historian of science and patron of the Carl Faust Foundation, and the biologist and professor of botany Carles Burguera, head of the Garden’s herbarium. The text is complemented with photographs of this place by Montserrat Verdaguer, activist and volunteer at Marimurtra.

The tour of the Marimurtra Botanical Garden is also a journey through its history and the personalities who gave it shape and content accompanied by its creator, Carl Faust. The places speak of gardeners, scientists, scholars, great figures of botany but, above all, of lovers of science and plants. With these works, the reader will be able to enter the world of Marimurtra through the people who shaped it. Or the world of botany through the streets and squares of the Botanical Garden.

This book – which describes the first space that visitors find when they enter the Garden – is the first in a planned series that will form part of the Indrets de Marimurtra collection, and has the support of the Girona Provincial Council. The next ones to be published by Edicions de Marimurtra will be about Pius Font i Quer, Albert Frič and Josep Cuatrecasas.

The books can be purchased at the Marimurtra Botanical Garden shop, specialized bookstores and online at www.edicionsmarimurtra.cat